I’d probably seen about ten episodes here and there of Fixer Upper. I loved Joanna’s style and Chip’s humor, but never, ever would I be able to do anything like that.
Design was just not my thing. And visualizing what could be made beautiful out of a dump seemed impossible.
But 2 years into our marriage, my husband and I began our search for our first home. We started with lofty expectations, and with each new house we visited, we found ourselves disappointed and just not feeling like we were finding a good fit.
Sure, some had our ideal requirements, but there was just always something missing.
We wanted that 3+ bedroom, 2 bath house with a nice backyard and if possible, a cute porch. We were prepared to do some work if needed, but had to stay within our limits - after all, we were on a budget.
One evening, a small little house caught our attention. Looking back, I’d probably yell at myself - “you’re crazy!” because this house was a D.U.M.P.
It was extremely outdated, pretty gross inside and not at all what we were looking for. But despite this, we decided to go check it out.
Our realtor is one of our friends from church. I laugh everytime I think of his expression when he asked what Eric and I thought of the place and we both looked at each other, nodded and said we liked it.
Visualizing Something Beautiful
My husband’s dad is extremely handy and very experienced in most areas of remodel and my husband is really handy as well, being both an engineer and having tons of experience working on houses too.
We had that going for us as we walked through this house and tried to picture what we could make it.
As I said, I’m an awful visualizer and so I was listening to my husband and his father and really trusting that their vision could become a reality in this little old house.
A few months later, we owned the place and immediately began what Chip calls, “Demo Day” although ours was more like Demo Month.
We tore through walls, ripped out carpet and floors, cabinets and shelving. We chipped away at glue and ripped off paneling.
It was fun for about two days, and then in the sweltering humid heat of August, this project was just getting started.
Putting It Back Together
But as the weeks went on, we began to put the place back together. What I thought had become a hopeless heap of badly torn up plaster, bare studs and sticky floors began to take shape into what we were about to call home.
This process was not easy by any means. And now, over a year later, I’m finally beginning to envision decorating and designing my perfect home.
But over the months of hard work and piecing together, this house started to become a home. I began to feel such ownership over every single nook and cranny of our home because we practically nurtured it to what it is now. (With some major help from my husband’s family)
The patience I’d displayed throughout the process surprised me immensely because to be honest, I am not a patient person. I will pay for one day shipping because when I decide it’s time to get something, I’m ready for it right away! (don’t judge).
I am so excited to share with you some of the projects we tackled and the progress we made. I can’t wait to share some of my favorite new design and decor projects and how I decided on the millions of choices we had putting this home back together.
This fixer upper became a memorable chapter in my life and we dream of one day having little feet running through it, hosting get togethers with friends and relaxing together as we enjoy this place we now call home.
We were brave enough to take on a fixer upper, and although at times tears were shed, patience was tested and exhaustion won out, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. This tiny old dump we decided to make our own is now the place we are proud to call home.
Tips for Your Fixer Upper
If you’re thinking about buying a fixer upper, or maybe you already have one on your hands, here are some tips that I can share with you for the process.
- It is a looong process, but you’ll take more pride in the place you call home than you could have ever imagined. Just hold on! It’s worth it 🙂
- Consider it a learning process. Things will be overlooked, mistakes will be made, but fixing up your first home is an adventure, a journey. Don’t expect perfection, but enjoy the ride.
- It will feel like a heap of rubble for months and then suddenly you’ll have something beautiful. Don’t let the constant dust and the endless tools discourage you, soon you’ll have a beautiful room.
- Dream big. Don’t stop dreaming. Even when your budget can’t quite afford it, go for the look you want and find frugal or thrifty ways to make it work. Pinterest was a massive lifesaver each time we walked through Lowes or a thrift store looking for the next thing.
What have you learned by taking on a fixer upper?
**Special thanks to my husband’s parents and to all those who helped us along the way. And a never-ending thank you to my amazing husband, Eric and all of his hard work, support and encouragement <3
Thank you!
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This was so helpful!!! We are in the process of buying a house and we are looking at fixer uppers so this gives me hope!! LOL
Yes – it is a lot of work (experienced!) – after the normal 9 to 5 job it is.. but you get there in the end. I think we said next time we will build a new home (and we did!) Great work!
Well done. I would love to do something like this in the future. I love your comment about visualizing something beautiful.
Good for you in taking on a project and turning something that is okay into something beautiful and that works for you.
How interesting. I LOVE to see all the before and afters of reno. Thanks for sharing all of this.
Wow! You both are so brave! It looks amazing, great job!
My partner and I have also been debating about getting a fixer upper home. As long as it has good bones I don’t see the issue. I love the character in older homes. Definitely worth it.
Wow! This looks fantastic! Love the before and after photos 🙂
These are great tips for those considering buying a fixer upper – I’ve seen how much work it takes, and how it typically ends up being more money and work than what you initially anticipated, but can be so worth it!
that’s awesome you’re taking it on! i always want to do fiver upper projects but get distracted
What did I learn from our fixer upper? That wall paper over plaster walls is a DOOZY! Lol I also feel like it was a great way to start building memories in our home. Our current fixer upper is a pop up camper..much smaller than our house!